Tuesday, June 30, 2009

I Am a Vandal

Junior Worship Leader and Worship Leaderette joined me tonight as we vandalized the church. It was fun!  We tried giving the platform an urban/city look, so we pulled back the curtains in the choir loft, and drew some graffiti on the walls.

I see why people paint on walls. Even though it was planned, it still felt naughty.  

Trying not to think about the day I have to wash it off,
Normal Girl

Monday, June 29, 2009

The End

Before a new set is installed, the old set must be removed.  It was 10 glorious minutes of ripping down the old thing.  It had been overused.  I was sick of it.  It was falling apart.  It was a blast to wreck it.  

Next!
Normal Girl

Sunday, June 28, 2009

This City Needs Help and Hope

Here is how I spent my day.  I have decided that I would like to be awarded four boys to do my bidding at all times.  It was pretty great. If I have to work in the church all day, sweating,  with the air conditioning turned off, I might as well have four sweaty boys doing the work, right?

We got the neighborhood hung on the walls. More pics later.  Seems I am not quite finished.  One byproduct of painting in a room too long by myself was that I painted the Penn Theater letters on the wrong board and when we hung the boards, PENN was floating in the sky instead of sitting on top of the theater.  It was also a bit disappointing to put all of the 13 pieces together and not find the pictures fabulous.  I am not sure yet how to put a little zip in it, I am thinking.

Hoping there is still some hope for that city,
Normal Girl

Friday, June 26, 2009

Something is Wrong with Me


I have always been able to procrastinate with the big boys, but in the last two weeks, I have found a new way to procrastinate that has absolutely no redeemable value.  The galaxy.  Kind of.  

I have been painting every night for two weeks and coming home too tired to do anything important.  Nothing on TV.  I found reruns of Stargate SG-1 on Hulu.  I like sci-fi, and if someone walked up and asked me if I wanted to go for a ride in the space shuttle, I would not even pack, I would just go.  Of course, I would have to run 975576 miles on the way to get in shape, loose 100 pounds and 20 years in order to go, but I am ready. 

So, I started watching this old show that started in 1997.  Where was I that decade? It ran 10 years, but I never heard of it before. I might be a little obsessed. It is all I want to do.  It has been torture all week to have to work, paint, and do homework. It was miserable to focus on the paper I had to write today.  I put it off all week and there was no helping it, I had to write it today.  One night I watched 4 episodes in a row.  I can't focus on anything for that long, what is up with this?  I have always been able to obsess, but this is ridiculous.

As I was writing the paper today, I wondered why I have more interest in watching some old reruns of a sci-fi show than the class that I paid a small fortune for, that I hope will become a part of a new career for me.  What have I learned from this experience?

1.  Richard Dean Anderson was just as cute at 50 as he was at 20.

That's it, that is all I have learned,

Maybe not so Normal Girl

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Hanging in Kellogg Park

I spent the night hanging out in Kellogg Park, or what is the start of Kellogg Park.  It needs more trees, and maybe the fountain needs some glitter.  When the board is done, it will be 12 feet tall by 24 feet wide.  That is almost the real life size of Kellogg Park.  OK, not really, but it is kind of feeling like it right now.  Stay tuned.

What will be playing at the Penn Theater???
Normal Girl

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Ribbit Not So Much

I am at Mom and Dad's tonight.  Yes, the video is completely black, I am pointing the camera out the window.  I just wanted to record the bullfrogs.  Hope you can hear them.  It took me a few minutes with the windows open to figure out what the weird sounds were.  I am guessing they are wishing each other a happy Father's Day.

Normal Girl

Saturday, June 20, 2009

The Neighborhood

This is the neighborhood in which I have been hanging out all week.  Some of my friends have been there with me.  VoteMom was there several hours today.  Not only that, she brought me chocolate cake (see last post).   I could not get back far enough to photograph the whole thing, it is 8' tall and 16' wide.  Now......how to hang that thing on the wall...........

Who are the people in your neighborhood?
Normal Girl

Friday, June 19, 2009

What a Week!

This week has been nothing a big chocolate cake could not cure.
Normal Girl

Monday, June 15, 2009

Baby It's Cold Outside


It may be June 15, but I am turning in my winter column for Bead Unique Magazine.  Mittens! Many sizes and colors of mittens.  I like how they turned out, but am still thinking about a project to make with them.  Any ideas?

Owen's Grammy, your caps will be cute with these mittens.  Ms. Editor, they are on the way!
Normal Girl




Saturday, June 13, 2009

He's #1


Introducing the #1 Outfielder in the State of Michigan....as awarded by the Michigan High School Athletic Association...aka Nephew 3.  He has always been the long ball hitter.  Even when he could barely stand, he could hit the plastic ball out of the yard with the plastic bat.  



He and his team played the State Championship game this afternoon and lost.  It was heartbreaking. But did I mention that Nephew 3 had a great year and was named the #1 Outfielder in the State of Michigan?

I got sunburn,
Normal Girl

Friday, June 12, 2009

A teeny tiny glimpse of Heaven

We are back from the Worship Arts Conference.  I can't say enough about the experience.  The classes I took in set building were interesting and inspiring.  We learned how to get our ideas across, and that we need to express ourselves artistically even if other people hate it.  And we praised God.
We attended a couple sessions with the Willow Creek band and one with Hillsong United.  My favorite thing about the week was being in a room with 8000 other people who love to sing to Jesus.  Being mostly worship leaders, the singing was amazing.  It made me think that it might be a little like it will be in Heaven when we are all there singing loudly in worship of our God.  It is a feeling I cannot describe but really love.



Hillsong United gave a worship concert Thursday night.  Wow.  I love it when the music is loud, I can feel the beat in my chest, and I can sing as loudly as I want and can't hear myself sing.  LOVE it.

tired...happy....inspired...
Normal Girl


Thursday, June 11, 2009

Resume not Attached


I never dreamed I would be at a worship arts conference, but here I am.  And, loving it!  We sang, we listened to inspirational interviews, and while the rest of my team was listening to the guy who invented Veggie Tales, I attended Rags 101.  It was so great to get scenery ideas from the guy who does the same for a HUGE church with a HUGE budget.    A perfect scenario.  Not practical for me, but easily pared down for my budget and skill level. He buys fabric yardage that is 20' wide.  How in the world would I ever get that home in my car, even if I could afford it?  Oh, but it made such cool stage sets.

And, we attended a Hillsong United Worship concert tonight with 8000 other people.  It was great.  We were in the balcony and the floor bounced.  There is nothing as great as singing praises to God with 8000 people.  Pretty amazing.  If you are my facebook friend, you can see there a video I uploaded during the concert....a little bumpy from dancing with camera in hand, but cool anyway.

This guy made me feel unprepared for the day.  HA, how creative is he?  I hope he got some leads on jobs from this today.

Normal Girl

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

On the Road with Entertainment in Hand

I am going on the road for a couple days and I have packed this for a project to work on.  I don't want to have homework as my only option!  Do you think I can bead in a moving car?  Maybe I will have time in the evenings, so I am ready! 

Normal Girl

Sunday, June 7, 2009

A Two Bead Day


I managed to make two beads today before I needed a nap.
Normal Girl

Saturday, June 6, 2009

B&B

Every year, the Bead & Button show for me is fun with a little work thrown in.  This year, it was work with a little fun thrown in.  The Diplomat was there with me.  She brought me a present from her trip to Paris.   Cute earrings, right?  The Diplomat is the coolest.

I did not buy much at the show, which was the plan.  Believe me, it was not because there was nothing I wanted.  I did buy three vintage enamel buttons, kind of art deco looking.  I will use them for jewelry clasps.

Vintage everything is the trend in jewelry these days.  I found these little bead caps at a booth with the coolest vintage stuff.  

Keeping with the vintage theme, these are vintage lucite, 2 hole beads.  I am not sure what I will do with them yet, but they caught my eye and when I saw the 70% off sign, they were mine.  Stay tuned to see what happens with them.

And I bought some new glass colors.  I want to lick those blue ones, they look so good to me.

Going home with inspiration and new jobs, anxious to get to work!
Normal Girl

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

In Addition......

Since posting this morning about calling the number to keep telemarketers from calling your cell phone, making you pay for the call (scroll back to read it), I found some other numbers you might want.

888-234-5837  The National Do Not Stop Checking to Talk on the Phone to Your Husband When it is My Turn in Line Hotline

888-993-7650  The National Do Not Wait to make Up Your Mind Until You Get to the Counter at McDonald's Because the Menu is the Same in Every Single Store Hotline

888-377-8374  The National Do Not Leave Such a Long Message on My Phone Machine That it Fills The Tape, Leaving No Room for Any Other Messages Hotline

and the most useful:
888-736-3455  The National Do Not Wait Until There are 25 People in the Post Office Line to Close Your Window and Take Lunch Hotline

Have you found any others we could use?
Normal Girl

Do Not Pay for Telemarketing

Brought to us by The Diplomat, who is on top of everything:

FYI

Cell Phone Numbers Go Public this month.
REMINDER....  all cell phone numbers are being released to telemarketing companies and you will start to receive sales calls....YOU WILL BE CHARGED FOR THESE CALLS.
To prevent this, call the following number from your cell phone:    888-382-1222.

It is the National DO NOT CALL list. It will only take a minute of your time. It blocks your number for five (5) years. You must call from the cell phone number you want to have blocked. You cannot call from a different phone number.

You should do it!

The Diplomat and Normal Girl

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Free Stuff

I don't know if this is new because nobody has any money for eating out anymore, or if this was always happening and I just didn't know.  Restaurants seem to be giving away free things with membership in their clubs.  You just have to go to their website and check out the offer.

I love PFCHangs, so I tried it.  I joined their Warrior Club and got 10% if I go this month and a free order of lettuce wraps.
http://www.pfchangs.com/club_info.shtml



I joined the Amici club at Carrabas and got a coupon for a free appetizer.
http://www.carrabbas.com/amici_club.aspx




Duncan Donuts has a club you can join for free stuff, but I passed since yeah, donuts?  I can skip them.  https://www.dunkindonuts.com/CreateAccount.aspx  But, if you can't skip donuts, you should know that this Friday they are giving away a free donut with beverage purchase.  I don't think you have to join the club for that.

If you join the club at Blizzard Fan Club at Dairy Queen, you get a free blizzard.  http://www.dairyqueen.com/us-en/



I have never been to Qdoba, but I love mexican food, so I went to their site and of course, they have a club to join.  I get free chips and salsa.  http://www.qdoba.com/Email.aspx



Oh the Border is one of my all time favs, so I tried them.  Yep, joined the club and got free queso:  http://clubcantina.ontheborder.com/clients/ontheborder/survey.htm


Then I went to Fridays because my friend The Lunchlady already has a card there and gets great discounts and free stuff:   http://fridays.com/gmms/GiveMeMoreStripes.aspx

I think I could do this all night.  Every website I went to, got me something free.  So I guess my advice is, don't go anyplace before checking their website for freebees!  

Does this only work for food, or other things too?  Anybody know?

Normal Girl